Panthers GM Bill Zito is the Best in the World
Time to Acknowledge Bill Zito and the Florida Panthers
It’s time to acknowledge Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito as the best general manager in the NHL.
Not to discredit Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill, who won his third Jim Gregory Award as GM of the Year, but what Zito has done over the last several days to his Big 3 in Florida and to run it back to keep winning is pretty remarkable. And remarkable might be underselling it.
Bill Zito said that after the Stanley Cup Final, in which his Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup, he wanted to keep Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad. He did just that. First on Day 1 of the NHL Draft, Bennett signs a new eight-year extension at $8 million AAV.
Then on June 30th, right before NHL Free Agency on July 1, Zito signs Ekblad to an eight-year deal at $6.1 million AAV, not soon after Marchand signed a six-year deal at $5.25 million. All these contracts are buyout-proof and tradeable later on if he needs to move players out and retool on the fly.
However, to keep this potential Florida Panthers dynasty going in a salary cap era requires skill, artistry, and a knowledge of not only the salary cap and the CBA, but also having the staff and resources to execute it.
The magic continued on Day 1 of NHL Free Agency when he re-signed Tomas Nosek, signed Jeff Petry, and extended Daniil Tarasov. It comes down to the resources Bill Zito has at his disposal that have made the Florida Panthers a winning organization.
And we know what the narrative is going to be? “No-State Tax.” It’s not a hometown discount; Florida has no state income tax, and it’s an advantage. They took less to stay because the Panthers are building a winning culture, and players are buying into a system and playing for one another.
As Zito said, he had nothing to do with his “Big 3” re-signing in Florida, but rather the culture and brotherhood that the players built.
“I didn’t. It was those guys,” Zito said. “There’s no gray area whatsoever. This is 100% those guys wanting to be part of something that they created. We kind of wax poetic about the team and the community that they’ve become. And I think this is a great example of what it means to them. It’s 100% those men who made that decision that they all wanted to continue to try to win together.”
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You can see how much this group is having fun playing the game. Whether that is in practice or in a game itself, they are embracing that hockey is a game and it is supposed to be fun. But when it comes time to get serious, these guys know how to win.
This brotherhood and buy-in begin with Aleksander Barkov, but they start at the top with Vincent Viola, the owner, a West Point alumnus. When you talk about playing for each other and being there for your brother, that is something Viola learned at West Point.
You are part of a team, and to succeed, you must work together as a team, not as individuals. Now it's not just a West Point thing, but we've seen it with the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, Red Sox, and Celtics. Taking less money to stay in a winning environment. It worked for them.
Bill Zito set out on a mission to sign all three players. He kept his word as Marchand, Bennett, and Ekblad have new contracts. Not to mention the chances he took on Gustav Forsling, Evan Rodrigues, and Carter Verhaeghe. The trades for Sam Reinhart, Seth Jones, and Matthew Tkachuk changed the culture in Florida.
Since the trade of Tkachuk to Florida, the Panthers have one playoff series loss in three years. That was to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 in the Stanley Cup Final. The little things that have improved the team have gone a long way toward the Florida Panthers success this season.
To use a wrestling phrase as Roman Reigns did, “Acknowledge Me,” and that is what Bill Zito is saying. Though he could use the Patrick Roy line, “I’ve got two Stanley Cup Rings and they’re plugged in my ears to block out the noise.
Or he can borrow CM Punk’s line, calling himself the Best in the World. However, the more appropriate line is MJF, “I’m Better Than You and You Know It.”
And he's proving it; he is the best in the world. He's ensuring that every general manager is stepping up their game. Not only is he getting what he wants and the owner lets him do anything within reason, but there is a buy-in from the players, knowing their window is open to at least 2030.
He ensured that when the time came, he could move those contracts if necessary. A general manager is looking five to six years down the road, even though it is a year-to-year league.
Bill Zito surrounded himself with a good staff that drafts and develops players, so they can come up and fill a role. That’s how you keep a good, winning organization going. That's something that, again, was taught from the top in Vincent Viola. That's what they teach at West Point.
So again, you can knock it and say, “No state taxes and all that.” Use excuses, because that's what they are. They're excuses. The general manager of the Florida Panthers did masterful work in keeping his entire team together to make a run at making history.
Bill Zito said, I'm the best in the world, and it's time to acknowledge me.
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